Together
by DreamASweetDream
Summary: Lily is seeking some peace and quiet from the loud New Years Eve party when she runs into James Potter. Set New Year of 1977, during sixth year.


The Gryffindor common room was alive with the New Years Eve party planned by the Marauders. Lily Evans was clutching her butterbeer as she pushed her way through the crowd of people. Lily had had the best evening but midnight was approaching and she knew just the place she wanted to start the New Year. She made it to the portrait hole as it opened to reveal Sirius Black and James Potter. Lily sighed internally but smiled at the two boys.

"Great party boys." She said as she moved around them.

James stopped laughing at Sirius and shot her a look that was a combination of both confusion and sadness.

"You're not staying for the countdown?"

Lily shook her head at him, "Nah, Mary and Marlene are just going to be snogging their dates so I'd rather have some peace and quiet".

"If you're looking for a New year's snog, I'll gladly volunteer my services." Sirius said with a smirk and a wink.

James elbowed him and quickly tried to fix what Sirius had said. Usually whenever he opened his mouth Lily got upset but this time, she just laughed at him.

"And take the honour away from Remus? I would never forgive myself!" She told them with a smirk of her own.

Sirius spluttered, opening his mouth a couple of times like a fish before disappearing with a slight blush creeping up his neck.

Lily and James looked at each other before bursting out in laughter.

James smiled shyly at Lily who returned it.

"They think we don't know what they get up to but they're the least subtle people I know."

Lily giggled and shrugged at him before glancing down at her watch.

"I better be going, only ten minutes left in the year."

James ran his fingers through his hair causing butterflies to make an appearance in Lily's stomach.

"Would you mind if I joined you?" He asked her shyly. "It's just all the boys have snogs lined up and the only girl I want to be with really isn't that interested in snogging me so I'd rather spend what's left of the night enjoying the peace and quiet with you... If that's okay, I totally understand if you say no., I mean we're only just starting to become close friends, I get if you don't wanna."

James clamped his mouth shut and rubbed the back of his neck realising that he just been rambling.

Lily let out a laugh, the butterflies picked up the pace in her stomach.

"Alright, you can come… on one condition. You don't disturb my peace and quiet."

James dropped his hand from his neck in surprise, he wasn't expecting her to actually say yes.

Lily sat her butterbeer down on the nearby table and moved past James, signalling with her head for him to follow her. The pair made their way towards the astronomy tower in comfortable silence. James was much too scared of being told to go away to even breathe too loudly.

Lily checked her watch as they ascended the tower, two minutes til midnight.

Thee unlikely pair made themselves comfortable sitting against the wall where they could see the stars. Much to James delight, the two were sitting so close that their sides were pressed up against each other for warmth. James looked over at Lily as she let out a sigh, a cloud of fog coming from her mouth. Her head was tilted back, looking at the stars with a peaceful look on her face.

"Thanks for letting me join you." He whispered to her.

Lily tilted her head slightly to look at him with a cheeky smile.

"You know, when it's just us, you're actually half decent company."

James let out a quiet laugh and glanced at his watch.

"Thirty seconds."

"I can't believe how fast this past year has gone..." Lily whispered back.

James nodded in agreement, "A lot has happened."

"A lot has changed." She said looking at him with an interesting look.

James looked at his watch again.

"Ten... nine... eight... seven... six... five... four... three... two... one. Welcome 1977."

James looked up from his watch and smiled at Lily, she was smiling at him already. The glint that signalled she was deep in thought was clear in her eyes. It was a look James loved on her; she truly was the smartest witch he had ever met.

"It wouldn't be New Years without a kiss you know..." she whispered, breaking the silence as she leaned in towards him, her eyes fluttering shut.

James sucked in a breath as his eyes fluttered shut as well. He could feel her getting closer, her petite nose pressing coldly against his equally cold skin.

Lily pressed her lips to the corner of James' mouth, mostly on his cheek, before pulling back and looking up at him through her eyelashes.

James opened his eyes to look back at her. He lifted his hand and cupped the side of her face gently, finger in her hair. He stared at her a moment, waiting for her to pull away. When she didn't, James smiled slightly before kissing her, properly this time.

Lily gasped against James. She had sort of expected this, she just hadn't expected it to feel so good, nice, comfortable and yet thrilling.

The two continued to snog, lost in the feel of each other, until they were both struggling to get enough oxygen.

Lily was first to pull away. Keeping her eyes shut she put her head back against the wall like she was looking at the stars once more.

James opened his eyes as Lily moved away and his hand from her face, he moved to place it on top of her closest hand. Lily tilted her head towards him, opening her eyes and smiling.

"Don't take this as a complaint, but where did that come from? Last time I checked; you were still more interested in the Giant Squid".

Lily let out a laugh, "He turned me down, you're the consolation prize".

James let out a nervous laugh, his free hand jumped to his hair.

Lily lazily lifted the hand that wasn't holding his and attempted to fix his hair.

"You must like looking like a yeti with how often you mess up your hair."

James grinned at that and shook his head wildly so that what she had just arranged got all messed up.

"I usually aim for the 'just got off my broom' look but yeti does seem more accurate."

Lily giggled and looked back to the stars.

"Things are starting to hectic. Scary. I like coming here to remind me that my problems inside these four walls are small, I'm small, we're all small. There are more significant things happening in the world."

James just looked at her as she talked, a small crease appearing between her eyebrows.

"I want to make a difference in the world. Make things a better place. Because one day I want to explore it all." Lily let out a longing sigh. "I can't wait till this damn war is over and we can live in peace."

James squeezed her hand lightly, "It will be over soon hopefully. There are many great people fighting out there, my parents and Professor Dumbledore among them. Only another year and we'll be out there fighting too…"

Lily looked at him and squeezed his hand tight.

"I don't want to fight James… I'm scared. For myself and for all muggleborns. There's no such thing as a safe place anymore."

"I won't let anything happen to you Lily. I swear it. I will protect you in any way you let me." James said fiercely. "We can go into hiding or leave the country if that's what it takes."

Lily smiled sadly at him.

"I don't want to fight James, but I will. Until my dying breath if that's how it has to be. I can't let the next generation grow up in a world ravaged by dark magic."

James nodded in understanding; he was dying to do his part to end the war. "Then we'll stand together. You, me, Sirius, Remus and Pete. We'll fight for what's right and we will win."

Lily found comfort in his fierceness and confidence. She nodded at him.

"We should probably head back, I'm sure your friends will be wondering where you are by now."

James shrugged before settling back against the wall and into Lily's side, gazing at the stars once more.

"Sirius and Remus will have found a broom closet or taken over the dorm room and Peter was sneaking out to meet some Ravenclaw girl. I'd much rather spend my time here with you than at any party."

Lily sighed and settled back against the wall too. This time with her head on James' shoulder. They sat like that, both star gazing, occasionally pointing out star signs or making them up and coming up with ridiculous stories to go along with them.

It was another two hours later before the pair got up, shaking out their stiff and sleeping limbs. The pair made their way leisurely back towards the common room, ducking into empty classrooms and broom cupboards in fits of hushed laughter whenever they heard a suspicious noise.

Finally, the pair made it back to the empty common room. It was a mess of empty firewhisky and butterbeer bottles, the fire only just flickering in the early hours of the morning.

The pair stopped at the bottom of the staircases and turned to face each other in a moment of awkward silence.

James ran his hand through his hair with a deep sigh before pulling Lily into him and wrapping his arms around her. Lily hesitated for just a moment before she melted into James.

"James…I -" Lily started but James interrupted.

"I know, love. We don't need to do this right now. We'll work through it together."

"Promise?" She whispered into his shoulder; her eyes squeezed shut.

"I promise." He whispered into her hair.

James took a deep breath, savouring the sweet scent of Lily's shampoo. He pressed a kiss to the top of her head before pulling away. James lifted her hand to his mouth pressing another kiss to her hand.

Lily grabbed the front of his sweater and pulled his face to hers. Lily Evans was snogging James Potter for the second time in one night and both teens were giddy with the feeling of each other. They pulled back and stared at each other.

"I love you..." James whispered, searching Lily's face for any reaction.

She smiled at him, a genuine one of happiness.

"I know. We're going to make this work. One day, we can have whatever we want."

"I'll fight for you, for as long as it takes."

"We fight together, for a future we both want."

James smiled at the red-head. That was all he needed for now. One day they would have the world at their feet, have the life he always pictured for them. But for now, they had to survive the rest of their schooling and the war. And they would do it together.

"Goodnight Lily."

Goodnight James."

They pair turned from each other and headed up to their respected dorm rooms. They had a long and hard journey ahead but they would get through it.

Together.


End file.
